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Importance of local, state elections noted

It’s primary Election Day and voters have from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. to cast their ballot and make their voices heard.

“Government starts at the lowest level,” said Joseph Hamm, chairman of the Lycoming County Republican Party. “It’s so important that folks turn out and they let their voice be heard.”

Candidates range from local tax collectors to statewide judges. Pennsylvania is a closed primary state, meaning voters only will be able to vote on the Republican or Democrat ballot, depending on which party they are registered with.

The outcome of today’s election will determine who is on the ballot for the Nov. 7 general election.

Hamm said that even though high profile races such as president, senators and governors are not on the ballot, local offices such as judge, city council and township supervisors are just as important, if not more.

“Every election is an important election,” Hamm said, adding that residents can “choose the direction their community and county takes.”

Verna Caruso, the newly appointed chairwoman of the county Democratic Party, said she is happy to see nearly every position on the ballot filled this year. While she hopes to see a high turnout among Democrats, she added that the multitude of local level seats may not bring out as many as a national or statewide race might.

“I feel rather disheartened sometime to see the low voter turnout in elections like this one,” Caruso said. “The closer you get to home the bigger the impact is on your personal life.”

Caruso said at the local level community members have easy access to their elected officials, and policies they put in place can strike much closer to home than a presidential order or congressional bill.

“To not exercise your right to vote is wasting a very valuable commodity you have,” Caruso said.

Hamm added that the statewide judge races also are important this year.

“This is an important election because we have seven statewide judicial candidates on the ballot,” Hamm said. “It’s so important that folks take our judicial races much more serious.”

Forrest Lehman, director of Lycoming County Voter Services, said that one of the most common questions on both primary and general Election Day is where polling places are and what an individual voter’s registration is.

He said the county has a list of polling locations on its website, www.lyco.org/Departments/Voter-Services, and people can find out what party they are registered with at www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/Pages/VoterRegistrationStatus.

Unofficial results will be tallied on the county’s website on election night. The official count, which will reveal any successful write-in candidates, will begin on Friday.

Additionally, the deadline to submit signatures to get on the November ballot as an independent is Aug. 1, with a signature requirement of 407, according to Lehman.

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